The Yamato Race and the Discovery of Japan by Commodore Perry. 2 part
In 1837, the American ship "Morrison" approached the shores of Japan, but was fired at by coastal batteries in the Urag Bay area and retreated. In 1846, Commodore James Beadle and two ships approached the same bay. He had congressional authority to negotiate with the Japanese government. This time the Americans were not shot at, but there was also no success in establishing diplomatic relations. In 1849, the shogunate was offered to establish trade relations by Captain James Glynn, but the Japanese side rejected this proposal. But the “opening” of Japan became a matter of a few years.
In 1852, the US government tasked Commodore Matthew Calbreyt Perry with the mission of concluding a trade agreement with Japan. US President Millard Fillmore gave Perry a directive that if the Japanese are unwilling to negotiate, it is necessary to use armed force. The US President also handed him a message to the Japanese emperor, with proposals to establish friendly relations and conclude a trade agreement between the two states. At the end of 18 - the beginning of 19 centuries, American merchants traded in the Japanese city of Nagasaki at the request of the Dutch, because Holland was occupied by French troops. After the liberation of Holland, the United States was excluded from the Japanese market and was looking for ways to gain a foothold on it. In addition, the Japanese empire was needed by the Americans as a bridgehead on the way to China, where competitors the United States, Great Britain and France led the colonial race and in the future, as a base against Russia.
The American government knew who to send to Japan. Matthew Perry (1794 - 1858) subordinates called the "old bear", for seriousness, unfriendliness, toughness and rudeness. He was born into a military family. He was a member of the Anglo-American (1812-1815), the second Barbary (1815) and the Mexican-American (1846-1848) wars. He participated in actions directed against pirates and slave traders in the Caribbean. In 1822 he occupied the disputed island of West Key ("Thompson Island") in the Caribbean, which belonged to Spain. In 1837 he received the rank of captain and established himself as one of the leading reformers of the American Navy. He supported the construction of steam ships, oversaw the construction of the second American steam frigate, the Fulton, for which he was called the "father of the American steam fleet". He participated in the establishment of the first corps of marine engineers, and in 1839 - 1841. created the first US Navy artillery school in New Jersey. In June 1840, Perry was promoted to Commodore and became commandant of the New York Naval Shipyard. In the years 1843-1844. Commodore appointed commander of the African Navy Squadron. During the years of the US-Mexican War (1846-1848) he participated in the capture of the city of Frontera, in the destruction of Tabasco, the battle for Tamaulipas. He commanded an internal naval squadron and in 1847 supported the blockade of the Mexican city of Veracruz. After his fall, he formed the so-called "mosquito fleet" and captured the port of Tuspan.
"Discovery" of Japan
24 November 1852, the Commodore led the East Indian Squadron and set off from Norfolk, Virginia. The “Embassy” was very impressive. The squadron consisted of 10 ships: Mississippi, Sasquehanna, and Povhatan - steam frigates, sailing ship "Supplay", "Plymouth", "Saratoga", "Macedonian", "Vandalia", "Lexington" and "Southampton" "- sailing sloops. December 11 1852 squadron reached Madeira, January 24 1853 - Cape Town, from 10 to 15 in March the ships were in Sri Lanka. March 29, having overcome the Strait of Malacca, the American squadron reached Singapore. 7 and 29 April, the Americans visited Macau and Hong Kong, 4 May squadron arrived in Shanghai, where she stopped to rest.
26 May 1853, the American squadron arrived at the Ryukyu archipelago. This state was under the control of the Japanese principality Satsuma and at the same time was a tributary of China. The state of the Ryukyu, China, and Japan were considered "theirs". Through him went the main flow of trade between Japan and China. Ships anchored in the waters of the capital Naha. Perry expressed a wish to visit the residence of the ruler-wang, the castle of Shuri, but was refused. Then he landed an armed landing and moved to the castle. The Ryukyu State, which did not have a strong army, was forced to cede to armed pressure. Van Seo Tai accepted American officers. When the Americans handed over to the masters the demand of the American President to establish diplomatic relations, the backpackers said that the Ryukyu was not a sovereign state and could not independently resolve such issues. However, they promised to become intermediaries between the US embassy and the Japanese government. As a result, the Americans found their mission successful. The residents of the Ryukyu, in turn, were able to politely reject the ultimatum of the United States, rescued the capital from attack, and received foreigners at a level lower than the Chinese ambassadors usually accepted.
Perry, leaving part of the squadron in Ryukyu, explored the islands of Ogasawara and proclaimed them US ownership. However, later this action was protested by England and Russia. 2 July 1853, the Commodore went to Japan on four ships. 8 July 1853, stunned by the Japanese, saw in the bay of Edo (it was the administrative center of the shogunate) "black ships". The Americans behaved aggressively, the guns were pointedly aimed at the shore, the ships took up a combat position. The Americans began to voluntarily measure the depth of the waters of the bay and made several shots with idle charges, causing panic in the city.
Matthew Perry, during negotiations with Japanese officials, demanded a meeting with a high rank, threatening to land a landing party in Edo and hand over the message to the shogun himself. At this time, the shogun Tokugawa Ieoshi was very sick and could not fulfill his duties. The responsibility was taken by the head of the Japanese government, Abe Masahiro. The Japanese dignitaries at that moment were confused, they did not expect so much pressure, and could not develop a unified plan to counter foreigners. 14 July was organized by the reception of the American Embassy. Perry handed over to the shogun’s officials: a letter from the president, documents with proposals for a trade agreement, as well as models of machines and mechanisms. The Japanese side reported the shogun's illness and offered to arrive next year when the answer is prepared. Perry agreed and said that he would arrive in Japan for a response in a year.
27 July 1853 died shogun, his successor was Tokugawa Iesad. However, he was a man of poor health and could not handle complex matters. The government of Abe Masahiro, not wanting to take responsibility, convened the All-Japan Assembly for the first time in two centuries with the participation of representatives of the emperor, the shogun, regional authorities and nobles. The meeting had to solve the question: “open” Japan to foreign countries or maintain its isolation.
At this time, Perry's squadron was in Hong Kong. Having received news of the events in Japan, he decided to take advantage of the opportune moment and again put pressure on the Japanese authorities. In February 1854, the American squadron returned. The American ships accepted the order of battle, demonstrating their readiness to attack Edo if the Japanese government refused to sign the agreement. The All-Japan Assembly at this time has not yet made a decision: the shogun's officials advised to sign an agreement with the United States, and the representatives of the emperor and the regional rulers, in the wake of anti-earth sentiment, offered to keep the old course. Abe Masahiro, took responsibility and told the Americans that Japan was ready to establish diplomatic relations with the United States. 31 March 1854 was signed in the Yokohama village, near the city of Kanagawa, an 12 article of peace and friendship agreement between Japan and the United States was signed. At the same time, Japan has undertaken to provide American ships with fuel, water and food, if necessary; to save American ships and their crews in trouble; Shimoda and Hakodate ports opened for trade with the States, in which the Americans got the right to establish their consulates; The United States received the most favored nation trade. Thus, Japan was "open" to the world community. More detailed terms were June 15 at Ryosenji Monastery in Shimoda, as an 13 article contract application. A similar settlement was signed with the Ryukyu.
The arrival of the first American consul, Townsend Harris, almost coincided with the Second Opium War 1856 - 1860, when England, France and the United States attacked China with the goal of turning the country into their semi-colony, finally discovering the Chinese domestic market. Therefore, as the first “good advice”, the American ambassador recommended the Japanese government not to be obstinate in relations with the great powers. China was shown as an example of what is happening with intractable ones. The Japanese agreed to Harris’s advice and rather quickly signed a series of unequal trade agreements with the United States, Britain, and France. Russia and other countries. Foreigners acquired very favorable customs privileges and extraterritoriality rights in the Japanese Empire.
It should be noted that the United States at that time could not take full advantage of Perry’s victory. In 1861 — 1865 there was a fierce war of the North and the South. Therefore, in the first place comes England. True, by suppressing anti-Western sentiment, the West is in agreement. In 1864, the combined Anglo-French-American-Dutch squadron attacked Japanese coastal batteries in the Shimonoseki Strait, which fired on foreign ships.
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